No. 10 FSU puts on show, drubs Nevada 62-7 // PHOTO GALLERY

Published: Saturday, September 14, 2013 at 10:30 PM.

TALLAHASSEE — Florida State football fans expecting to see Jameis Winston dominate for four quarters were let down a little bit on Saturday.

Instead, the fans were treated to an outstanding performance from the Seminoles’ stable of running backs.

FSU amassed 377 rushing yards to power the offense, and Winston shook off a rocky start in his first game at Doak Campbell Stadium to pass for 214 yards and two touchdowns in a 62-7 victory over Nevada. The 10th-ranked Seminoles scored the game’s final 59 points.

The Seminoles improved to 2-0 with a victory in their first game since a Labor Day drubbing of Pittsburgh. Winston, a redshirt freshman who completed 25 of 27 passes for 356 yards and four touchdowns against Pitt in his FSU debut, settled down against Nevada (1-2) after a costly interception early in the second quarter.

He completed 15 of 18 passes, and he has completed a remarkable 40 of 45 passes this season.

Winston had a pass sail over the head of receiver Kenny Shaw and into the hands of Wolf Pack safety Bryson Keeton a minute and a half into the second quarter. Nevada took over at the FSU 28, and quarterback Devin Combs located Brandon Wimberly along the sideline in the end zone four plays later for an 11-yard touchdown pass and a 7-3 lead.

TALLAHASSEE — Florida State football fans expecting to see Jameis Winston dominate for four quarters were let down a little bit on Saturday.

Instead, the fans were treated to an outstanding performance from the Seminoles’ stable of running backs.

FSU amassed 377 rushing yards to power the offense, and Winston shook off a rocky start in his first game at Doak Campbell Stadium to pass for 214 yards and two touchdowns in a 62-7 victory over Nevada. The 10th-ranked Seminoles scored the game’s final 59 points.

The Seminoles improved to 2-0 with a victory in their first game since a Labor Day drubbing of Pittsburgh. Winston, a redshirt freshman who completed 25 of 27 passes for 356 yards and four touchdowns against Pitt in his FSU debut, settled down against Nevada (1-2) after a costly interception early in the second quarter.

He completed 15 of 18 passes, and he has completed a remarkable 40 of 45 passes this season.

Winston had a pass sail over the head of receiver Kenny Shaw and into the hands of Wolf Pack safety Bryson Keeton a minute and a half into the second quarter. Nevada took over at the FSU 28, and quarterback Devin Combs located Brandon Wimberly along the sideline in the end zone four plays later for an 11-yard touchdown pass and a 7-3 lead.

Winston soon atoned for his mistake.

The Seminole quarterback rolled out to his left and heaved the ball to the end zone, where Shaw ran under it for a 24-yard touchdown and a 10-7 advantage with 3:21 remaining in the half.

FSU’s defense forced a three-and-out on Nevada’s ensuing drive, and Winston quickly led the Seminoles downfield. He completed 4 of 4 passes for 56 yards, the last of which was a perfectly placed throw to Rashad Greene for a 24-yard touchdown pass. FSU carried a 17-7 lead into the locker room at halftime.

“It’s all about facing adversity,” Winston said. “As a quarterback, my coach is always pounding on me, ‘Move on to the next play, move on to the next play.’”

Seminole coach Jimbo Fisher added: “It was a critical mistake. Jameis threw a high ball and it got picked off. But I love the way he responded afterward with two really good drives.”

FSU’s triumvirate of running backs — Devonta Freeman, James Wilder Jr. and Karlos Williams — complemented Winston’s passing with a combined 268 rushing yards on 23 carries. All three scored a touchdown in a five-minute span in the third quarter to turn the game into a rout.

Freeman was first to score, breaking off a 60-yard run on the first play from scrimmage in the second half and then plunging into the end zone on a 4-yard run on the next snap to give FSU a 24-7 advantage.

Williams, a former defensive back who moved to running back after the season opener because of a perceived lack of depth at the position, showcased his explosiveness with a 65-yard touchdown run on his first carry of the season. That play propelled the Seminoles to a 31-7 lead with 12:47 left in the quarter.

“I’m not trying to say I rub a crystal ball, but that guy’s a talented cat,” Fisher said of the decision to switch Williams from the defensive side of the ball. “That run right there was very impressive.”

Wilder Jr. capped a four-play, 61-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run with just over 10 minutes left in the quarter. That gave the Seminoles an insurmountable 38-7 cushion.

Freddie Stevenson and Ryan Green each scored on 1-yard touchdown runs in the fourth quarter to provide the final margin.

Fisher now believes the team’s depth at running back is “impressive.”

“You’ve got Freeman, Wilder, Green, Karlos — those are four quality guys right there,” Fisher said. “You’ve got Abram, as well, at fullback, and Freddie Stevenson is a natural with the ball in his hands on offense.”

Winston got in on the fun with his legs, too, rushing for a 10-yard touchdown run with just under 5 minutes left in the third quarter for a 45-7 lead. That marked Winston’s eighth touchdown this season either passing or running the ball.

Those four touchdown drives in the third quarter covered a total of 237 yards in 12 plays, and the longest drive in terms of time of possession ticked just 1:53 off the clock.

Winston’s outing concluded after his touchdown run, and he was replaced by second-string quarterback Jacob Coker late in the third quarter.

FSU place-kicker Roberto Aguayo contributed with a pair of field goals: A 28-yarder in the first quarter and a 33-yarder in the third.

Nevada lost to UCLA in similar fashion in its season opener. The Wolf Pack defense surrendered 41 points in the second half of that 58-20 defeat. Nevada’s chances against FSU did not improve when word leaked out early Saturday that starting quarterback Cody Fajardo wouldn’t play because of a knee injury.

Combs, who had attempted 38 passes in his career at Nevada, stepped in for Fajardo and kept his team in contention through the first half. He completed 6 of 9 passes for 37 yards and a touchdown.

He didn’t play a snap in the second half, however, and had a brace wrapped around his left knee. The Wolf Pack struggled to move the ball against FSU’s defense with redshirt freshman Tyler Stewart at quarterback over the final two quarters.

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